Rubber band stretching tools

ABSTRACT

An outer cylindrical sleeve rotatably positioned about an inner cylindrical sleeve, each sleeve being provided with a radially projecting handle, said handles being capable The alignment to receive a contracted rubber band and capable of relative rotation to stretch said band into a circular ring peripherally encircling said outer cylindrical sleeve, provided with trigger means for urging said stressed ring from said outer sleeve to a contracted position about a work piece positioned within said inner cylindrical sleeve.

United States Patent Inventor Walter R. Armand 1320 Speer Blvd., Denver,Colo. 80204 Appl. No. 842,281 Filed July 16, 1969 Patented Aug. 24, 1971RUBBER BAND STRETCHING TOOLS 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 29/229, 29/235 Int. Cl. v. 823p 19/04 Field of Search 29/229,235; 81/129 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,601,547 6/1952Minock 128/303 Primary Examiner-Andrew R. .luhasz AssistantExaminer-Leon Gilden Attorney-R. H. Galbreath ABSTRACT: An outercylindrical sleeve rotatably positioned about an inner cylindricalsleeve, each sleeve being provided with a radially projecting handle,said handles being capable The alignment to receive a contracted rubberband and capable of relative rotation to stretch said band into acircular ring peripherally encircling said outer cylindrical sleeve,provided with trigger means for urging said stressed ring from saidouter sleeve to a contracted position about a work piece positionedwithin said inner cylindrical sleeve. wire RUBBER BAND STRETCI-IINGTOOLS This invention relates to a device for stretching relatively heavyrubber bands and maintaining them in an enlarged circular open position,so that the bands can be readily and accurately positioned in clampingposition on an article to be clamped by the band and instantly releasedso that the band will uniformly contract into clamping relation aboutthe article.

One of the principal uses of the invention is in animal husbandry forthe removal of horns and tails and for the castration of domesticanimals such as calves and lambs. One method for accomplishing thelatter tasks is to place a relatively tight rubber band about the baseof the part to be emasculated so as to cut off the circulation of theblood theretoto cause the part to atrophy for later removal. Such bandsare extremely powerful and it is exceedingly difficult to apply thenecessary stretching tension thereto while positioning the band at thedesired location on the animal.

Other uses for the invention are: the application of rubber gaskets suchas (l-Rings" to various machine parts; the application of closing bandsto sacks or bags or various commodities; and the application of elasticsealing bands to pipe and hose fittings and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, economicalunitary hand tool which will readily form a large open ring from arelatively small powerful rubber band and which will retain the ringopen so that the band can be easily placed in the desired position andreleased into place with one hand leaving the other hand free forsupporting the work.

A further object is to provide a tool of the above character which willbe completely nonmetallic and which will have no sharp corners or edgesso as to avoid injury and damage to the work to which the band is beingapplied.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference ismade to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Likenumerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughoutthe description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the improved band-stretching tool;

FIG. 2 is a medial, longitudinal section therethrough, taken on the line22, FIG. 1, showing a rubber band in its initial position on the tool;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof, showing the rubber band 10 inits second position on the tool;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the tool in a partiallyactuated 180) position to be later described;

FIG.5 is a fragmentary side view of the tool showing its fully actuatedposition with the band 10 completely expanded to the annular openposition ready for release;

FIG. 6 is a detail face view of the band 10 in its normal unstretchedcondition; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view looking in the directionof the arrow 7 in FIG. 3.

DETAIL STRUCTURE The tool employs a cylindrical internal sleeve 12, ofsufficient diameter to surround the work upon which the tool is to beused, from the bottom of which a tapering lower handle 13 radiallyprojects. An annular base flange 14 surrounds the bottom of the internalsleeve and projects circumferentially outward therefrom in the plane ofthe handle 13. The lower annular edge of the flange 14 is rounded asshown at 23.

A cylindrical external sleeve 15 rotatably surrounds the internal sleeve12 and slidably rests upon the upper surface of the flange 14. Asimilarly tapering upper handle 16 projects radially from the externalsleeve 15. The upper handle can be rotated about the axis of the sleeves12 and 15 so that it can be brought over and into alignment with thelower handle 13, as shown in FIG. 1. The upper surface of the upperhandle 16 is longitudinally indented to provide an elongated triggerchannel 17 in which an elongated, rockerlike trigger element 18ispositioned. The trigger element is provided with pivot bosses 19 in itsopposite sides which fit between vertical ridges 20 molded in the sidesof the trigger channel 17, as shown in FIG. 7, to prevent longitudinalmovement of the trigger element in the channel 17 yet allow free pivotalmovement therein. The trigger element projects forwardly at an obtuseangle to provide a prying foot 21 which extends into a receiving notch22 in the external sleeve 15. The intersection of the foot 21 with thetrigger element 18 provides a fulcrum point 11 (see FIG. 2) upon whichthe trigger assembly may reciprocally rock back and forth.

OPERATION The band 10 is slipped over the extremities of the handles 13and 16 and is rolled forwardly over the trigger element 18 so as todepress the foot 21 and raise the trigger element 18 as shown in FIG. 3.

The lower handle 13 is now held stationary in one hand and the upperhandle 16 is rotated counterclockwise, as indicated by the arrow A" inFIG. 4, by the other hand to cause the rotative movement to stretch theupper reach of the band arcuately around the external sleeve 15 whilethe lower reach of the band rolls downwardly beneath the rounded edge 23to a transverse position across and below the flange 14 as shown by therotation in FIG. 4. l

' The rotation is continued a full 360 causing the lower reach of theband to snap upwardly over the rounded edge 23 to a tensed circularposition about the external sleeve 15 and above the prying foot 21 asshown in FIG. 5. Both handles are now grasped in one hand so that thecircular open center of the internal sleeve 12 can be convenientlypositioned circumferentially about the work to be clamped. When theproper positioning has been attained, the trigger element 18 isdepressed by the thumb of the hand to elevate one side of the expandedring above the top of the external sleeve and allow the inherentresiliency of the stressed band to snap it closed about the work and thejob is completed.

It will be noted that when the band is in the position of FIG. 5 it iscompletely supported in the open tensed position by the external sleeve15 and its handle 16 so that the internal sleeve 12 and its handle 13may be removed if such removal is found to expedite the final placement.This also enables a single internal sleeve and handle to be used toequip a plurality of external sleeves and handles with the stressed openbands. Thus, the workmen doing the final applying can be furnished witha plurality of upper portions containing prestressed bands if fieldconditions can be facilitated thereby.

While a specific form of the invention has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be variedwithin the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what I claim and desire to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. A rubber band stretching tool comprising:

a. a hollow internal cylindrical sleeve;

b. a hollow external cylindrical sleeve rotatably surrounding said innersleeve, the tops of said sleeves being in substantial alignment;

c. a first handle secured to and radially projecting from the lowerextremity of said inner sleeve;

d. a second handle secured to and projecting radially from the lowerextremity of said external sleeve, above said first handle, said handlesbeing capable of substantially parallel alignment so as tosimultaneously pass through the open center of a contracted rubber bandso that rotational separation of said handles about the axis of saidsleeves will stretch said band and circumferentially position saidstressed band about said external sleeve; and

e. trigger means mounted on said second handle actuatable to engage thestressed band on said external sleeve to urge said band axiallytherefrom.

2. A rubber band stretching tool as described in claim 1 in which thetrigger means comprises:

a. an elongated rockerlike trigger element pivotally mounted on saidsecond handle and extending longitudinally of the latter;

b. a prying foot formed on the forward extremity of said trigger elementand extending forwardly into close proximity to said external sleevebelow said stressed band so that downward pressure on the rear extremityof said element will cause said prying foot to elevate said band abovesaid sleeves.

3.'A rubber band stretching tool as described in claim I having anannular flange concentrically surrounding and radially projecting fromthe lower extremity of said internal sleeve, said external sleevefrictionally riding or being supported by said flange in which the lowerexternal annular edge of said flange is rounded so that said band canroll outwardly and upwardly onto said external sleeve as the band isbeing stressed by actuation of said handles.

1. A rubber band stretching tool comprising: a. a hollow internalcylindrical sleeve; b. a hollow external cylindrical sleeve rotatablysurrounding said inner sleeve, the tops of said sleeves being insubstantial alignment; c. a first handle secured to and radiallyprojecting from the lower extremity of said inner sleeve; d. a secondhandle secured to and projecting radially from the lower extremity ofsaid external sleeve, above said first handle, said handles beingcapable of substantially parallel alignment so as to simultaneously passthrough the open center of a contracted rubber band so that rotationalseparation of said handles about the axis of said sleeves will stretchsaid band and circumferentially position said stressed band about saidexternal sleeve; and e. trigger means mounted on said second handleactuatable to engage the stressed band on said external sleeve to urgesaid band axially therefrom.
 2. A rubber band stretching tool asdescribed in claim 1 in which the trigger means comprises: a. anelongated rockerlike trigger element pivotally mounted on said secondhandle and extending longitudinally of the latter; b. a prying footformed on the forward extremity of said trigger element and extendingforwardly into close proximity to said external sleeve below saidstressed band so that downward pressure on the rear extremity of saidelement will cause said prying foot to elevate said band above saidsleeves.
 3. A rubber band stretching tool as described in claim 1 havingan annular flange concentrically surrounding and radially projectingfrom the lower extremity of said internal sleeve, said external sleevefrictionally riding or being supported by said flange in which the lowerexternal annular edge of said flange is rounded so that said band canroll outwardly and upwardly onto said external sleeve as the band isbeing stressed by actuation of said handles.